Willmott Dixon has given a major boost to the construction industry by investing £1m in a new academy in Birmingham that will provide training and lifelong skills to 2,000 people a year.

The Willmott Dixon 4Life Academy, opening today 30 January, will be a national centre of excellence for the company as well as providing training for people and businesses in the wider community. It has just been approved as a training centre for City & Guilds and the British Plumbing Employers Council, enabling it to deliver a wide range of career-enhancing skills ranging from courses in plumbing, electrical compliance and renewable technology to long-term NVQ and City & Guilds qualifications.

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Opening the academy underlines Willmott Dixon's commitment to invest in communities where it has a major presence; in the case of the Midlands the company employs 1,000 people, including 22 apprentices, and is responsible for the long-term repairs and maintenance of 60,000 properties for Birmingham City Council.

The academy is located in a 14,000 square foot office complex at Electric Avenue in Aston. Willmott Dixon Group Chief Executive Rick Willmott said: "The academy shows our serious commitment to supporting construction skills at perhaps one of the toughest periods ever for our industry. It also underlines that training is at the heart of Willmott Dixon; we invest over £1.5 million a year in equipping our people with the knowledge and know-how to succeed and it’s important we also invest in facilities to support skills in local communities."

(CD)